Dawn pelted after Pomegranate. 

The metal kidnapper darted up to the cliff face and disappeared into a cave. Dawn rushed in after it.

The cave was utterly foul. Sharp, pointed rocks covered every available surface. Clusters of glistening black shards gathered, half embedded into the rocks. Thick, golden brown globules of oil slid down from the ceiling and splattered into greasy puddles.

A droplet of pale orange oil landed on Dawn's back, and it hissed and steamed and boiled. Dawn winced. Small beads of warm grease dripped down her neck and dribbled to the floor. Her claws splashed through a boiling pool, causing oil to splash around her feet and up her legs.

But Dawn ran on, down the dark tunnel, through the boiling rain. She was not going to give up on her friend. Behind her, she could hear other dragons, but she didn't turn. The Thing that had abducted her friend could get away. 

Finally, finally, she reached a small chamber. Dead end, Dawn thought with a grimace. She took a hesitant step forward. The creature that abducted Pomegranate seemed to convulse, another dragon sliding out from the metal shell.

Dawn's ears drooped. The dragon stares at her with eyes that seem slightly, off. They're covered in a gray film and are staring off into space. That's when she realizes who this dragon is. "Snappea," she snarls.

The dragon turns to look at her and frowns. Sure, it looks like Snappea, but there's something else. The RainWing standing in front of her is not herself, something else is looking out through her eyes. "Oh, hello, little dragonet, nice to meet you," her snout twists into an ugly mask of contempt, "I hope you'll stay a loooong time."

Her voice is different as well, it has a sinister twist to it. 

Behind her, Dewdrop, Beetle, Clock, and Flutterwing all skid to a halt. "Snappea," Flutterwing snarls.

Flutterwing takes a step toward her imprisoned lover, but the machine tightens its locked grasp on her neck. "Not so fast," the thing inside Snappea says. "We can't have you ruining all of the fun, can we?"

All of Flutterwing's color-changing scales visibly paled, changing into a sick shade of green. "Who-no, what are you?" She demands. "And what are you doing to her?"

"Oh, no," Not-Snapea says, one of her eyes reverting into a regular pale green color, the gray sheen sliding away. "Do you really think that I would care about some random RainWing? Of course, I could use her later as a host, but I think not. Honestly, she's just the bait."

Dawn could feel her own scales changing to the same color as Flutterwing's. She instinctively took a step closer to Dewdrop, who was standing stone still, unreadable emotions shifting behind the amber pools that were her eyes.

"Tell me, little dragons," Not-Snappea smirks, flowing forward, her movements serpent-like. "Have you ever heard of a Halo?"

Dawn let out a little gasp, turning toward Beetle. "You should get out of here," she whispered urgently.

The thing inside of Snappea let out a hiss. "Oh, why would she do that? That would ruin everything." She asked innocently. Thin, grayish plants started to grow around Beetle's legs, thickening as they crept up her ankles, rooting her to the ground. 

"Why are you doing this?" Dawn asked frantically attempting to free Beetle from the plants. But for some reason, the Halo seemed calm, her face blank.

"Why do all you dragons choose to serve Eternity? She's nothing but a liar, a thief, and a murderer with an ego bigger than a mountain." 

"What?" Dawn spluttered. "She created us, adored us, and you?" She was staring to realize what was behind Snappea's blank eyes. 

Mother.

The name was horrible, foul, even in Dawn's mind. 

"You tried to destroy us."

To her surprise, Mother barked out a laugh through Snappea's mouth. "Really? That's what the story has been this whole time? Why am I not surprised?"

Dawn's mind reeled, trying to take in the new information. She was just saying information based on the stories Flutterwing, Beetle, and Papaya had told her. Stories based on ones told by Eternity themself.

Wait-no. Stop it! She's Mother, the physical embodiment of evil! She's the enemy! not the friend! She-she can't be trusted! don't listen to her!

Mother continued on ruthlessly, ignoring Dawn's reaction. "I created this planet, crafted each of the first dragons with care, and this is how she repays me?" Mother lashed Snappea's tail. "Using me for her experiments? imprisoning me? brainwashing my creations into thinking I was nothing but a monster? making them hate me?

Dawn turned to Beetle in confusion. The metallic dragon's face was a horrified mix of pain, loss, and betrayal. "If this is true..." she started, her voice suddenly growing angry. "Then my whole life? my mortality? sacrificed for nothing. No. I refuse to believe it."

"But not anymore," Mother through Snappea said proudly. "This little pest won't get in my way anymore. I'll be free."

She pulled out a small, glistening black shard. Dawn let out a mollified gasp. "You wouldn't!"

"Oh yes, I would," Snappea said, her face an evil, ugly mask. "Rip your own heart out."

≺︱✵︱≻

A/N

Hi, imagine me coming back from the dreaded bowels of the interweb to gift you this chapter. I didn't really enjoy writing this, but if you guys enjoy it, that's OKAY! If you enjoy the book, you should vote. Almost at 160 votes? That's crazy!

Maybe I should just not start writing chapter nineteen until we get there >:) That shouldn't be that hard? right?